Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-24
O,BRIEN AND ANNEXATION.

That the visit OF the Irish editor, agita-
tor and member of parliament is working
great injury to the personal reputation OF
Lord Lansdowne, the Governor General
OF Her Majesty's Dominion of Canada,
the daily telegraphic reports amply prove.
But O'Brien's visit is being barbed ior
England with far sharper significance
than could result from the public and pri-
vate disgrace of Lord Lansdowne. 1t is
not Lord Lansdowne who is receiving the
deadliest blow. 1t is England herself.
1t is not the Governor General of Canada
who is the most effected 1t is the Do
minion of Canada itself The surface of
the Canadian political situation has been
lashed into angry foam by O'Brien's per-
sonal denunciations of Lord Lansdowne.
Beneath this surface foam there is devel-
oping, strong and steady, the dangerous
under-current of annexation. The vice.
roy of Her Britannia Majesty has lost his
reputation. Her Britannia Majesty is in
great danger OF losing her Dominion.
The Irish orator came to Canada to per-
sonally attack Lord Lansdowne. He
NAV leave Canada with the triumphant
and unlocked for assurance that he has
struck the British crown an almost fatal
blow. He came to Canada to personally
disgrace a cruel and grasping Irish land
lord. He may leave Canada knowing
that he has accomplished a National
revolution. He came to Canada to
plead the cause of the downtrodden Irish
race. He may bear from Canadian shores
the realization that he has given
freedom to the Canadian peo-
pie themselves. And in this
O'Brien has been but an involun-
tary agent. He has been the imperson-
alton OF triumphant responsibility
He has been but the instrument. En-
gland herself has done the work.
O'Brien has, and is, only welding
the weapons placed in his hand by his
and Ireland's enemies. He but takes
advantage of the besotted blindness Of
English policy. He is but a reaper oi
the harvest England has ever sown.
This is aharVest that England has seeded
for many generations, and now the
iateful gathering time draws near.
England has widely scattered these
harvest seeds. She proudly boasts that
the sun never sets on her dominions, and
the sun has never ceased to fructiiy these
seeds of England's planting. In Ire.
land, in India, in Canada has England
sown. In the Thirteen Colonies she also
scattered these seeds. Certain peculiari.
ties in American colonial soil, however,
ripened the inevitable harvest quickly
the grain was garnered, and the thirteen
British Colonies became thirteen Ameri-
can States.
Still, however, the sowing went
on. Deprived of American soil,
other portions of the British
dominion were plentifully sown. Ireland,
however, was the garden spot in this
species of British agriculture. Here was
double and thribble seeding practiced
In India, also, has there been laid the
foundation of most prolific yield ,and now
the time of general reaping approaches
From the first putting in of the sickle
there will be no pause or halt. But the
sickle will be in the hands OF the people
OF the soil, and the grain England has SC
long and foolishly planted will be
gathered into the graneries of her
enemies. 1t would be the hand ol
Nemesis, indeed, it the voice Of
an Irishman, eloquently telling of centu-
ries of Irish wrongs, should give the
signal for the beginning of the general
harvest. And 60 it even appears.
O'Brien's fiery denunciations of Lans-
downe may light the torch of Canadian
liberty, and English pillage of Ireland
may be repaid by the wrestling of the
great Canadian jewel from England's
royal diadem. The arraignment of Lans-
downe at the bar of Canadian public
opinion may result in a verdict of annex
alton. At the Irish trumpet-call the
British Lion may give place to the Stars
and Stripes; the jaundiced hue of the
Orange be transformed into Freedoms
pure and glorious colors-the Red. the
White and the Blue.